Airport security and such ...

[rogerchristian]

Robert Blu:

CPAP = Continuous Positive Airway Pressure.

I suffer from sleep apnea, I quit breathing several times an hour, since I have some heart trouble - stents - and so on, it is not good to deprive my body of oxygen while I sleep.

I can get along without the machine, but I sleep better with it on, my wife says it is like sleeping with an astronaut - CPAP blowing all night, I grind my teeth, so I need an appliance and I use a shortwave radio with earphone to listen to the BBC to either keep me awake (interesting story) or lull my brain into shutting off for the night.

I know, too much info, but getting old is a bear.

 

[bmattock]

But the TSA loves you! See?

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/20100121_Daniel_Rubin__It_was_no_joke_at_security_gate.html

A TSA worker was staring at her. He motioned her toward him.

Then he pulled a small, clear plastic bag from her carry-on - the sort of baggie that a pair of earrings might come in. Inside the bag was fine, white powder.

She remembers his words: "Where did you get it?"

Two thoughts came to her in a jumble: A terrorist was using her to sneak bomb-detonating materials on the plane. Or a drug dealer had made her an unwitting mule, planting coke or some other trouble in her bag while she wasn't looking.

She'd left her carry-on by her feet as she handed her license and boarding pass to a security agent at the beginning of the line.

Answer truthfully, the TSA worker informed her, and everything will be OK.

Solomon, 5-foot-3 and traveling alone, looked up at the man in the black shirt and fought back tears.

Put yourself in her place and count out 20 seconds. Her heart pounded. She started to sweat. She panicked at having to explain something she couldn't.

Now picture her expression as the TSA employee started to smile.

Just kidding, he said. He waved the baggie. It was his.

 

[bagdadchild]

The "one carry-on" rule is being applied to international flights to the US, and pretty strictly. The "one piece plus a personal item" rule is pretty standard on US domestic flights, and doesn't seem to have been affected by the enhanced security precautions overseas.

My sister just flew from Germany to the US and she had three carry on bags, a big absolutely stuffed backpack, a lap top bag and another bag. No questions asked, no problems!

 

[wgerrard]

My sister just flew from Germany to the US and she had three carry on bags, a big absolutely stuffed backpack, a lap top bag and another bag. No questions asked, no problems!

I'm told enforcement of these rules varies between airlines and airports. Prior to flying in and out of Heathrow in October, I was told the one carryon and one personal item would be strictly enforced, as well as size limitations on carryon bags. The one personal item rule was strictly enforced, but no one enforced any carryon size limits.

I fly with one carryon and one personal item (a camera bag). Folks who show up with a cart full of oversized carryon bags don't win any friends with other passengers or the flight crew.

 

[japro]

I will always remember when we were in berlin at a shooting competition and were heading back home. First the officers seemed to be somewhat amused to see that amount of competition rifles and pistols being checked in, but gave us no problems at all. And then they checked my camera for explosives 😀. I mean, they were simply going by the book but it was still funny. Someone trying to smuggle explosives on an airplane would surely try to fly below the radar by traveling with lots of guns...

Actually I was a little bit worried that the detection thingy would find something, since between competitions I had handled my camera as well as ammunition, but It worked out fine.

 

[DonaldJ.]

i flew from sanfrancisco to rochester NY last week and didnt have a problem. i had 30ish rolls hand checked along with 3 boxes of 4x5 that were taped closed and said do not open unexposed film. i told the woman that the boxes could not be opened and she did not have a problem with it. when she was done she asked me what i liked to shoot.

i was expecting problems through security but nothing was out of other experiences i had.

 

[Pablito]

Two semi-interesting factoids here ...

Before this weekend, when I requested a hand inspection of film, the inspector would usually look at the bag (I carry film in a ziplock bag) and maybe feel it from outside, then maybe take 1 roll out and swab it off and test it with the Nasty Stuff Detect-O-Matic machine.

This time coming back (Sunday, right after the incident at Detroit Metro) he took each and every roll (I had 12 or so), eyeballed them good, then swabbed and tested each one. This was at John Wayne (SNA) so YMMV of course.

Well, you have been lucky. Whenever I have requested a hand inspection for the last 15 years (or as long as I can remember) they ALWAYS opened and swabbed each and every roll. And I fly with 60-100 rolls when I am working with film. This has been the case at each and every airport in the US that I have flown out of. I don't bother any more (I only ask for hand check of TMZ now)

 

[dexdog]

I flew from Frankfurt to Washington D.C. yesterday. Security at the gate included pat-downs of about half the people, and lots of carry-on luggage searches. My camera bag was searched twice after being x-rayed, once visually opening all the pockets, and at a different table where my film cassettes and Canon L1 were swabbed to test for explosive residues.